


NYE: Klance

by teddy_parade



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Confession, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Langst, M/M, NYE - Freeform, New Year's Eve, klance, klangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:34:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28887699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddy_parade/pseuds/teddy_parade
Summary: Lance has to just sit and watch as his best friend's life breaks down in the other room. minutes before the New Year, is there anything Lance can do to make it better?
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 79





	NYE: Klance

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading. You can find more on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_teddylou/
> 
> all my drabbles are posted there first. there's gotta be hundreds at this point lmao. something for everyone *throws loose papers of writing over crowd*

Lance leaned back on the wooden step of the outside patio of Hunk and Shay’s new flat. Beer in hand, the warm summer breeze still lingered on his skin as the sun began to set over the last day of December, the last day of the year. 

The wood below him was still alive with the warmth of the sun that had spent the day shining down on the lovely little new abode. He listened to Keith mumble on about work, about how his boyfriend comes to eat lunch with him at work. All the things Lance would do if he were given the chance. All the things he wished he wasn’t hearing. 

Guests restrictions at the moment kept the party small, to five guests. Lance, Pidge, Allura, Keith, and one more person. Keith’s boyfriend had promised he’d come, leaving Hunk to save a spot for him. It caused turmoil between Keith and Allura. She’d wanted to invite her cousin who was stuck staying with her and her fathers for the time being until she could return home safely. 

Lance thought about if there was no pandemic. If there were twenty if not thirty people round. He sighed to himself because he hated to admit it. But even then he’d be sat where he was, watching Keith with his knees tucked close together on the beanbag he’d just about disappeared into, listening to him talk about the person he loved--

—the person Lance hated. 

But for now, these were the people that were closest to him, friends through absolutely everything. These were the people he’d be going into the new year with. And with Keith by his side, his best friend, he couldn’t be happier. 

“So uh, where is he? Thought you two were coming together tonight.” Lance asked, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. He frowned when Kith shifted in his seat awkwardly, both hands cupping his drink in his lap.

“Yeah, we were supposed to. But he only got off work at six when the party was starting.” Keith explained. Lance could see Keith was a little saddened by this. He could tell why too, even if Keith wasn’t going to say it. Seeing as the group had only met his boyfriend a handful of times, he was probably hoping he’d be welcomed more into the group. Lance felt a twisted form in his stomach. Keith seemed to think that about every gathering. Yet every gathering that he actually bothered to show up to left him grouchy, wanting to go home early, taking Keith with him.

“He told me that he didn’t want me to be late though and that he’d come home and have a shower and be right over.  
-  
“He said he wouldn’t drink and then he’d drive me home,” Keith explained, and it hurt Lance to see the loving smile that appeared on Keith’s face. He ducked his head down like he didn’t want Lance to see it. Lance wished he hadn’t. 

“Most of us are just sleeping over,” Lance reminded. Keith nodded. 

“Yeah but I think he wants some time just for us before we go to sleep,” Keith told him, tone scraping over what that meant. But it was okay, Lance got it loud and clear. 

“Oh, right.” He cringed internally at how blunt that sounded. God, Lance became an open book when he drank, the mask always would slip. He wondered if he could manage to stop it from flying away completely.

As the party went on, the guy still isn’t showing. It was now well past the time it should have taken from him to come home and get ready. Lance knew it; Keith certainly knew it; everyone did. There were so many unspoken understandings hanging in the air above the group, it was probably a matter of time before they came crashing down. Lance knew no one felt that as much as Keith. He’d barely smiled the whole night, aside from that one before.  
-  
Lance had a feeling that Keith was digging for love out of the man’s actions. That that smile was him finding a spec of gold somewhere, telling himself to believe it to be a loving gesture because he needed it to be one. 

Or maybe it was just wishful thinking. 

“Don’t hold off on ordering food any longer, I’m sure he’ll be happy with something. Don’t wait on the account of us. The night is going to be crazy busy for delivery services and I know y’all wanna eat before the year is out.” Keith said with a smile, a fake one. Lance could tell it was fake. He knew every little thing about Keith. He let himself dedicate every movement to memory since they’d become friends years and years ago. So no, he’d never forget the way Keith had said ‘us’ when he meant ‘him’. How as much as Lance would like to pretend he wasn’t, Keith was in a partnership, he was a unit of two. And Lance wasn’t the other half of it.

“I think I’ll go call him.” Keith breathed out eventually as the others crowed around Hunk’s laptop with the pizza website open. Lance watched Keith stand, not even bothering to stand. Lance was mad that Keith waited so long--the guy was over an hour late at this point for christ’s sake.  
-  
But Lance knew Keith didn’t like to rush his boyfriend. Lance could recall just about twenty or so fights the couple had gotten in about Keith rushing him when it came to meeting his friends. Or just fights about how close Keith was to his friends. That he picked his friends over his boyfriend. And by friends, Lance knew it meant him. How Keith sometimes picked Lance of his boyfriend. 

Keith stomped inside, head hung low as he disappeared behind the door frame. Lance watched the spot where Keith had been for a little while longer, already missing his presence by his side, the bean bag seeming way too big, way too empty, way too out of place now. 

Lance turned around, heart rate spiking as he noticed Allura plonked across from him on the ground on the other side of the step Lance was on; her back was against the wooden railing that circled the patio, and her eyes were wide with a drunken kind of intensity. . 

“I wanted Romelle to be here,” she said matter of factly, eyes unblinking, moth barely moving at all. There was a hint of a whine behind her words but her relaxed composure as she stared up at Lance drowned it out under her deep, distant tone.  
-  
“Yeah, I know Lulu. an, I should have just stayed with my siblings, let your cousin come.” Lance sighed, wanting to go back to watching the spot where Keith wasn’t standing in, but he was also trapped in a stare-off with Allura’s drunken stare, her pupils wide and her body radiating the warmth the alcohol she’d dunk had given her.

“No, we want you here.” She said, breaking her game as her eyes flicked to a spot behind Lance, the spot Lance wanted to be looking at. And Lance knew. He knew that she knew. She knew how much it pained Lance to see this all happening. How much it hurt him so see it every time it happened. It was like he was screaming into an empty void that Keith didn’t have to put up with all this shit if he just chose Lance instead. But it wasn't a void. Allura had heard him loud and clear. 

“Better than watching this shit show unfold.” Lance raised his brows sarcastically. Allura leaned towards him a little, resting on her arm as she wobbled atop it, voice lowering.

“You thinking what I am?” She questioned. She reminded Lance of a PI from old movies that was onto a hunch. Lance chortled out air through his nose.  
-  
“I think what we all think about that guy.” His tone was light but it was as though a deep darkness spread over the night sky, shadowing the ground even more with his words. No one would ever say it to Keith directly, no more than they already had. No one had proof other than a strong vibe and most people were done trying to convince him that the guy was no good. 

Even Lance had decided to quit it when their friendship was put on the line. But everyone sure liked to make it known between themselves that they all thought the same thing. 

“Late to everything, flaky, extremely protective over how close we get to him,’ Allura began to list with a slight slur. Then she chuckled. “Yeah, he’s definitely got someone on the side.” She deadpanned, her face growing serious; sad. By this point, Lance had wrestled with the thought enough in his own head to be desensitised to it, so he went on.

“Or many… not that Keith listens to us when we struck up the idea.” And it was true, they’d tried; but he wouldn’t have it. 

They all were sure at this point, yet they couldn’t do anything to stop it, to protect Keith. No, instead, one day they’d have to watch him get hurt.  
-  
Well, maybe it was just Lance who thought that part. It hurt to know you couldn’t do anything to shield the person you loved. 

Lance took a long swig of his beer, grimacing a little at the tang. He shook his head a little through a scowl.

“No, he trusts him too deeply. Man, that kid is so reserved and protective of himself, but when he trusts, it’s with his life.” Lance exclaimed.  
Allura went to speak but the sound of muffled yelling had their attention snapped to it. They watched the nothing while they heard a one-sided argument, Keith’s tone picking up more and more. 

Then for a second... it stopped. 

The pair of friends watched the nothing, and listened to the silence. But when it started up again, Lance’s heart broke at the sound of Keith’s horse voice as he yelled through pain.

Allura sighed, resting her head on Lance’s shoulder. “I think Keith may believe us now.”

***

Not too long later it went quiet again inside the house. Lance and Allura sat in silence, slowly sipping their drinks as the others delegated the pizzas across the table outside. The sky had been dark for a while now and the only light aside from the back porch light was the one illuminating Keith’s silhouette inside the house. 

Lance watched his body through the spare bedroom window; head hung low, shoulders hunched, idle phone in hand. When the outline of Keith’s shrunken body began to grow smaller as he moved away from the window, Lance snapped his eyes to meet Allura’s. She offered him a wide look, beer neck resting against her chin. 

“Do we act like we don’t know? I mean we totally know, but he hasn't said anything.” Lance’s knuckles whitened as he gripped his drink, the stubby it was in now feeling redundant. Everything felt unnecessary. Keith was in there hurting, and they were out there. Well-- 

“Is Keith okay, we heard shouting,” Pidge called from the table, neglected pizza slapped across a paper plate in her hand. 

“I don’t think his boyfriend is coming,” Allura called back, biting her lip with a scrunched nose of regret, realising her volume. Hunk didn’t seem to notice.  
-  
“Good, he’s better off without him here. I think he’d have more fun. He was so much happier before that guy…” Hunk tailed off, lips floundering into silence as Keith appeared from the backdoor. His eyes were dead; that was the first thing Lance noticed.

Keith tried to make it look like he wasn’t crying. But with the gulp he took the hint of pain that spread across his face told Lance that Keith’s voice was sore from the yelling they’d all heard, although muffled through the wall. His eyes were red and puffy, he hid his hands just behind his sides. Lance imagined he didn’t want everyone to know they were trembling. He held himself together as he came before the group. The party was lost on everyone as a solemn hush fell over the gathering, much thicker than the blanket of tension that had been hanging moments ago. It had well and truly just caved in on all of them. 

No one wanted to speak first, so Keith breathed out, rubbing his quivering hands on his black jeans, just as distressed as he looked, his hair slightly pushed back from where he’d clearly been running his hands through it. Keith always did that when he was stressed. He then pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his front pocket, looking up to the reticent group; no one budging yet.  
-  
He flipped open the lid of the pack, raising his eyebrows at his findings before flipping the lid shut again with a finger. He shook the box, the remnants rattling a little inside. When Keith broke the silence his voice was strong, held together. It was like he wasn’t talking before a crowd of hazy eyed, slightly swaying and cautious friends waiting for his first move. But the unsaid remained.

“Well, I’ve got two left,” Keith held up the box. “I’m gonna go smoke. If anyone wants the other one… come with me, I guess.” He said, pausing on the last few words before looking down and trudging off. He skated past Lance on the steps without a word or a glance, hopping down the rest of them with haste before sauntering to the back of the garden, rounding the corner to the side garden and out of sight.

So Shay looked to Hunk, who skipped Pidge and looked to Lance. Allura also looked to Lance. Then Pidge and Shay, they looked at Lance too. Lance patted his knees as he looked back at all of them.

“Yeah, yeah okay. I know. I got it.” He mumbled as he stood. He didn’t even know if Keith wanted to talk, though the offer seemed like he might. There was a cigarette with someone's name on it. Lance figured Keith would only have one name in mind.  
-  
Walking around the corner, Lance found Keith plopped down on a brick retaining wall around a small garden, head in his hands pressed into the space where his skin poked out of the rips in his jeans. His cigarette burned between his fingers. As Lance approached Keith looked up, bloodshot eyes noticeable even in the dim lighting. 

“Hey,” Keith says first, and Lance lowers himself down from where he was bouncing on his toes a little, body slumping at the wrecked condition of Keith’s voice. Sitting down Keith handed Lance the other smoke. 

Placing It in his mouth he leaned forward as Keith lit the lighter. As Lance breathed in, he looked up into Keith’s eyes, the flame turning the deep violet into a raging pool of black, glimmering with billowing gold. In the small space between their faces, in the warm cocoon created by Keith’s hand shielding the flame from the light wind, it was just them. Lance couldn’t run from the pain he could see in those eyes any longer. He had to speak. 

But for a while yet they sat in silence. Taking small drags, Lance watched the way Keith breathed. It seemed to do something to just be close to another person. He didn’t really know what to say to make it better, but with Keith, he knew he just needed to show Keith he had all his time and attention.  
-  
“You okay, Keith?” He said eventually, frowning. Everyone on planet Earth knew the answer to that one. Still, Keith chuckled, turning to rest on one elbow facing Lance’s direction. Gone were the dead eyes from the patio, yet dulled was the pain behind the flames. In a sad mix of both paired with the most ingenuine of smiles, it was like Keith was trying to pull back for Lance. 

“Well, my relationship just broke down forty-five minutes before the new year. So...” He laughed. Lance offered a smile. So it was over. Really, really over. And Lance wasn't happy for himself. Though he was glad for Keith. But above all else, as each attempt at light conversation died after mere sentences, Lance just wanted to hold him. 

If he didn’t know that it really wasn’t what Keith needed in that moment he’d hug him, kiss him, tell Keith that he loved him so, so much. But Keith was hurting. Keith didn’t need confusion, or force. He needed love of a more innocent kind.

“You're finishing the year with the people who love you the most. We’ve got you.”

“Thanks for worrying about me. Sitting and talking to me while I waited for him. Before I knew.” Keith said, ashing out his smoke and resting his hands back on the brink. Lance blinked at him.  
-  
“I did that cause we are friends, not because you were alone. You’re never alone.” Lance told him.

“Yeah, I got you,” Keith replied. And Lance let himself believe that ‘you’ meant everyone, cause he couldn’t think of himself any longer. 

“Yeah, and if you want to go back up there, I’ll be right with you,” Lance said.

“And if I wanna stay here?” Keith’s voice was barely a whisper before he covered a small cough with his fist. Lance chortled.

“Same thing. I’ll be right here.”

“Then can we sit… for a bit. I just. I don’t wanna be alone. But I don’t like them all staring.” Keith admitted.

“Sorry… we were just worried. A little curious.” Lance muttered quickly. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.” Lance started.

“Nah, it’s okay. I don’t blame you. ‘Sides, feels good to say it. Now I said it, it won't disappear.” Keith nodded with a half triumphant sort of smile.  
-  
“You don’t want it to? Have it never have happened?” Lance asked, raising a brow. Keith thought for a moment, pressing his lips together, but then he gave Lance an assured smile. 

“Nah. I think the new year has something new in it for me.” He said, meeting Lance’s eyes. Without the flame, they were just large black orbs in the dark, intense and captivating

Lance let the thought in that Keith could love him. He was quick to dissolve it cause it didn’t matter. He needed to heal. 

So they chatted. They chatted until Keith was laughing. The best sound in the world after seeing his best friend so sad. Lance prodded Keith until he was back to himself, though cumbersome, like a tired sort of happy. And even though they weren’t inches apart; in the small empty section for the garden, it was just them in the whole world. 

Even Hunk announcing the one minute mark of the New Year was an otherworldly voice Keith put his head on Lance’s shoulder.  
-  
“What am I gonna do? I was setting up a life with that guy.” Keith said, facing out to the back fence with a distant glare. 

“We can go do the count down with the group?” Lance suggested. He goes to stand but Keith stilled him with a hand to his knee. Lance dropped his action, staring at him. 

“Yeah…. Wait no, Lance. Look,” He rushed out. “I know that you know that I need time. I need to sort this all out, and be just me for a little while. But can we just forget that for a second?” He said as the group hit ten in their countdown.

Lance had to look at him for a second to make sure he was being serious. “Yeah, we can do that.” He told Keith as the group hit five.

“Okay,” Keith breathed.

“Keith, Lance, where are you guys?” A voice said from up on the deck at three, just three seconds to go.

But that was when Keith leaned forward and kissed Lance. Two and One and Happy New Year felt like a rush of wind over his ears as soft lips pressed hard against his. And when Lance kissed back he could feel the heat of Keith’s face, the wet lines where tears had streamed down his cheeks. He could feel the passion, but also the guilt. Keith pulled back just a little, about to decline Lance’s gentle grasp before deciding against leaving the calm warmth. Lance felt bad, he should have waited. But he could never say no to Keith, especially when Keith pressed their foreheads together, and smiled. 

“I love you, I think I have for a while,” Keith said against his lips. “But I need time.”

“And I will wait for you as long as you need me to,” Lance replied instantly. An ‘I love you, too’ in of itself.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you had a fun time, follow my Instagram to see first when I post new drabbles 
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/_teddylou/ 
> 
> thanks guys xx


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